Controlling device



Feb. 4, 19 36. WENCZLER- CONTROLLING DEVI'CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.9, 1935 M t 1,22%??? |1||| /||||l a k fl.-.

Feb. 4, 1936. WENCZ ER 2,030,038

CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 4,1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROLLING DEVICE Application February9, 1935, Serial No. 5,869 In Germany August 30, 1932 10 Claims.

My invention relates to control devices comprising loose travellingregistering members.

The certainty of operation of control devices operating with loosetravelling registering balls l or the like, such as are employed forphotographic type composing apparatus and quite generally in all caseswhere certain mechanical individual operations have to be controlledstep by step in registered succession, may become impaired if the 10operation of the released registering member differs from the mechanicaloperation of that successively operating part of the device which servesfor the reception of the said registering members. Such cases may, forexample, arise when the inl dividual balls are released from theirposition and raised by hand and are delivered on to a swinging carrier,inasmuch as the mechanical rhythm of the latter cannot be maintainedunaltered indefinitely by any human. hand, and such cases may 80likewise occur when the balls roll by virtue of their own weight or haveto pass over somewhat varying paths. The danger of these occurrences Isavoided, according to the present invention, by this that in the pathover which the registering members have to move freely loose spacingmembers are inserted between the registering members which follow oneanother step by step, from one spacing to the next.

A preferred embodiment of my invention, particularly suitable forphotographic type composing machines, is diagrammatically shown by wayof example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 3 show the device in longitudinal section in two diiferentpositions,

Fig. 2 shows a detail of the release for the spacing members in a sideview,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the ball channels of the device showinga spacing member and a the pushing or conveying member for the balls,

and

Fig. 5 is a plan partly in horizontal section corresponding to Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the registering balls I are magazmed in theposition of rest in an inclined guiding channel 2 behind a bolt 3. Bythe depression of a key 4 the bolt 3 is withdrawn through the medium oftwo bell crank levers 5 I and 8 and a pull rod I so far that a ball I isreleased and rolls forward by virtue of its own weight. Provision ismade in known manner to ensure that upon each depression of the key onlya single ball is released, whilst the others are held back. The parts bymeans of which this a is accomplished have, for the sake of clarity, not

been shown. When the key 4 is released the bolt 3 is returned by aspring 8 to its original position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The releasedball I rolls towards a push member or conveyor I3 operated by the crankdrive 9 and III of the shaft II, so 5 that it will slide up and down ina guide I2. The ball is raised by the upper free end of the push memberI3 from the lowest position of the latter (Fig. 1) upwards to thedischarge channel I4. Fig. 3 shows the push member I3 in proximity to 10its upper terminal position. The ball deposited in the discharge channelI4 rolls towards its destination where it efiects the operation allottedto it in the control of the photographic type composing machine. For thepurpose of applying the device to a photographic type composing machine,a plurality of ball channels each associated with its own particular key4 and its own bolts 3 and so forth, are required for conveying each ofthe balls I, as desired, to a particular control place for differentprinting signs and other arrangements appertaining to the photographictype composing machine. Figs. 4 and 5 show several channels 2 arrangedparallel to one another. Each of the channels 2 continues its course ina rectilineal direction through a corresponding discharge channel I4.The pushing member I3 traverses all the channels 2 and I4 and eifectsthe conveyance of the balls on to and along the correspondingrectilineal channel path. The upper edge of the push member I3terminates in projections or teeth I5 arranged after the manner of acomb and between which the recesses I6 for the balls are formed. Thesaid recesses are arranged in the common channel connecting the channels2 and I4.

The compositor depresses the key 4 corresponding to the printing signrequired, at any given time, whereby he registers the said printing signthrough the medium of its channel 2 according to the corresponding ballI and by means of the registering operation, after the elapse of acertain time, effects the automatic mechanical photographic operation.The shaft II is driven at such a speed as to correspond with the mostfavourable working rhythm of the photographic type composing machine.For each upward stroke of the pushing member I3 the compositor has todeliver a corresponding ball I, this being always effected by depressingthe corresponding key 4. The operation of the keyboard by hand by thecompositor is, however, not eliminated by the constant uniformity of themechanically operated strokes of the push member. Frequently, the keysof the printing signs which succeed one another are located on thekeyboard at a distance far away from one another, so that the hand ofthe operator has to pass idly through a considerable distance betweentwo letters, and frequently words occur which can be set up by simplycontinuously passing over a number of adjacent keys. The presentinvention fulfills the object of preventing the possibility in theaforesaid extreme cases, of one released ball being retarded or anotherbeing accelerated. Any non-uniformity would of necessity give rise toincorrect settings.

The spacing members I! in the embodiment shown are of comb-likeconstruction so that they can pass through and bridge over severalguiding channels. They are actuated and guided by their terminal pins I8and their projections or teeth l9 engage in the guiding channel 2.Furthermore, they are introduced into the channels 2 just in front ofthe place where the balls I are delivered to the pushing member I3 inorder that they may be best adapted to precede the balls.

The spacing members I1, I9 in their inoperative position are situated inthe rearwardly and downwardly inclined guide 2!] from which they passautomatically in succession into the notches 2| of the star-wheel 23mounted on the shaft 22. The notches 2| are so shaped that they alwaysengage only one spacing member I'I, I9 at its terminal pin I8, closingthe guide 20. If, now, the star-wheel 23 is rotated in the direction ofthe arrow, then the spacing members I1, I9 are automatically andindividually successively inserted in a division corresponding to one ofthe notches 2| of the star-wheel 23, this operation occurring in such amanner that the said spacing members alternate along the path betweenthe star-wheel 23 and the push member I3 with the balls I. The spacingmembers I'I, I9, for the purpose of their more exact cooperation withthe balls I also move along the aforesaid path by virtue of their ownweight, and for the same purpose they are conveyed back to inoperativeposition at each stroke effecting the mechanical conveyance of the ballsI. For this purpose there is pivotally mounted on the two sides of thepush member I3 at 24 a springcontrolled bell crank lever 25, thedeflection of which towards the rear is limited by a pin 26. On thedownward stroke of the push member I3 the pins I8 of the spacing membersII, I9 press the bell crank levers 25, which slide past them, forwards,whereupon said bell crank levers 25 swing back underneath the pins I8 sothat on the next upward stroke of the push member I3 the said pins I8are carried upwards by them to such an extent that the spacing membersII, I9 are delivered into the guide 20 as shown in Fig. 3. In this waythe spacing members I1, I9 are moved in a cycle and it is only a smallnumber of these spacing members is needed.

Those of the balls I, which are located in the channel 2 behind thefirstspacing member II, I9, cannot roll towards the push member I3 untilthe spacing member I1, I9, blocking their path thereto, is moved out ofthe way. Since this is only effected by the uniform strokes of thepushing member, the balls I, which arrive in succession in the differentchannels 2 from division to division, can only pass in regularsuccession corresponding to the strokes of the pushing member I3 on tothe latter and thence to the corresponding operative positions. FromFigs. 1 and 3 it will be seen that the spacing members I'I, I9 are piledalong the channel 2 together with the balls I in order that difierencesof considerable magnitude, which may arise in the release and during thefree forward rolling of the balls, may be damped and compensated. Asimilar piling up of the spacing members II, I9 may also be provided forat the lower end of the guide 20.

The operative path of the spacing members I'I, I9 is shorter than thecorresponding path over which the balls I have to move, so that thespacing members I1, |9 can each be inserted in advance of each ball I,if the said spacing members are released simultaneously with the balls.The reliability of this operation is further increased by this that thespacing members I 1, I9 are released by the same depression of the keyas the corresponding balls I, but in advance of the latter.

An arrangement of this kind is provided in the embodiment shown, in thefollowing manner: The continuously rotating shaft I I drives through themedium of the transmission 21, 28, 29 not only the star-wheel 23 butalso the ratchet wheel 30 (Fig. 2) mounted on the shaft 22 of the starwheel, which ratchet wheel is engaged by a fork 32 oscillating about anaxle 3|. The fork 32 is provided with an extension in the form of alower arm 33, in which a transverse rod 34 is fixed. The other end ofthis transverse rod 34 is fixed in a lateral arm 35 (Fig. 1) whichlikewise oscillates about the axle 3|. All the bell crank levers 6,which appertain individually to one of the channels 2 and which arearranged one below the other in the same row, bear against thetransverse rod 34 so that whichever key 4 is depressed, upon theoscillating movement of the corresponding bell crank lever B, the fork32 is swung about its axle 3| at the same time. Upon the release of thekey 4 depressed at any given time, the fork 32 swings back-automaticallyinto the position of rest shown in Fig. 2 under the action of a springcontrol not shown. The operation of the spacing members II, I9 is thuscontrolled by means of the ratchet wheel 30 in such a manner that thestar wheel 23 can, upon each toand-fro movement of the fork 32, i. e. oneach depression of the key, only turn onwards to the extent of onespacing or division, and consequently can only receive from the guide 20and insert in the channels 2 one spacing member I'I, I9 in eachinstance. The adjustment is such that the star wheel 23 is turnedsomewhat in advance of the complete withdrawal of the bolt 3. Thedriving belt 28 is arranged in such manner that it can slip somewhat andconsequently can compensate for the small irregularities which may occurin it.

The device described bridges over, as it were, the difference betweenthe entirely free and the entirely mechanical condition of theregistration effected by means of the loose balls or the like, andprovides in a kind of loosely mixed preregistration an intermediaryagent which ensures the strict co-ordinated succession of theregistering members which are controlled with regard to theirpositioning, and likewise permits the correction of the initialarrangement of the latter up to the last moment, inasmuch as the ballsor the like in front of the pushing member I3 may, if desired, be madeaccessible at all points.

I claim as my invention:

1. A control mechanism, comprising loose registering elements adapted tofreely move by gravity along definite paths, a rhythmically moving iii!member for uniformly conveying said registering elements to theiroperative positions, loose spacing elements, and means for feeding saidspacing elements into position to successively advance by gravity inbetween two registering elements.

2. A control mechanism, comprising loose registering elements adapted tofreely move by gravity along definite paths, a rhythmically movingmember for uniformly conveying said registering elements to theiroperative positions, loose spacing elements, and stepwise operated meansfor feeding said spacing elements into position to successively advanceby gravity in between two registering elements in alternate positiontherewith.

3. A control mechanism as specified in claim 12, wherein the operativepath travelled by said spacing elements is shorter than thecorresponding path of said registering elements.

4. A control mechanism, comprising a rhythmically moving member, looseregistering elements adapted to freely move by gravity along definitepaths to be uniformly conveyed by said rhythmically moving member totheir operative positions, means for releasing said registeringelements, loose spacing elements cooperating with said registeringelements, means for feeding said spacing elements into position tosuccessively advance by gravity in between two registering elements, anda single means for controlling the release of said registering elementsand the feeding of said spacing elements.

5. A control mechanism as specified in claim 15, in which the releasingof said registering elements and the feeding of said spacing elementsare so timed as to enable said spacing elements to be moved intoposition in advance of said registering elements.

6. A control mechanism, comprising a plurality of loose registeringelements, a plurality of parallel guiding channels enabling saidregistering elements to move along freely by gravity, a rhythmicallymoving member for uniformly conveying said registering elements to theiroperative positions, a plurality of loose comb-like spacing elementstraversing said channels so as to engage the registering elementstherein, and stepwise moving feeding means for feeding said spacingelements into position to successively move by gravity across thechannels in alternating relation with said registering elements, thecomb-like projections of the various spacing elements being always inadvance of the corresponding registering elements.

7. A control mechanism, comprising a plurality of loose registeringelements a plurality of parallel guiding channels therefor enabling saidregistering elements to move along freely by gravity. a rhythmicallymoving member for uniformly conveying said registering elements to theiroperative positions, a plurality of loose comb-like spacing elementstraversing said channels, the comb-like projections engaging saidregistering elements therein, said spacing elements having at each end aguiding pin, rotatable recessed wheels adapted to engage said pins forfeeding said spacing elements into position to successively move bygravity across said channels in alternate relation with said registeringelements, the comblike projections of said spacing elements engagingsaid registering elements in advance thereof.

8. A control mechanism as specified in claim '7, including a ratchetdevice operatively associated with said rotatable recessed wheelscontrolling their stepwise rotation.

9. A control mechanism, as specified in claim '7, including a means forsuccessively releasing said registering elements, and a ratchet deviceoperatively associated with said rotatable recessed wheels controllingtheir stepwise rotation, and a single means for operating said releasingmeans and said ratchet device, the operation of the latter and. saidreleasing means being so timed as to enable one of said spacing elementsalways to be fed in advance of a row of registering elements.

10. A control mechanism as specified in claim 1, including a means onsaid rhythmically moving member so disposed as to always automaticallyreturn said spacing elements to their original positions.

LAJOS WENCZLER.

